Sometimes the craving for Mexican hits hard, but $15 taco bowls barely touch the sides. This ground beef taco bowl is hearty, customizable, and meal-prep friendly, so you can get all the flavor you love without the takeout bill (plus you can add as much guac as you want)
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Why you'll love this recipe
Mexican flavors. I'm obviously obsessed, just check out my Mexican tuna salad, Mexican tofu nachos and Mexican vegetable fritters.
Ground meat. Super affordable and versatile. I use it in recipes like Mexican ground beef taco soup, curried beef mince and rice, and now this taco bowl.
Meal prep. Like my chicken thigh burrito bowl, you can meal prep these by storing hot and cold ingredients separately.
Family-friendly. Everyone can build their own "deconstructed taco" bowl with toppings they love, making this weeknight dinner stress-free.
Ingredients
Ground beef. I use a lean ground beef because it makes me and my partner feel better as active individuals. You can use any ground meat of your choice (I love using a turkey mince).
Black beans and corn. You can get both of these in tins, making them a great pantry staple that can just be popped straight in with the beef. You can use frozen if preferred.
Taco seasoning. I use a homemade taco seasoning mix, but you can use a store-bought packet if you choose.
Grains. I serve this over rice, but you could mix-and-match with some quinoa, cauliflower rice or even spoon it over tortillas like my chicken fajitas.
If you want a lighter version with less carbs, you could even swap for some lettuce or greens for a "taco salad" style.
Please check the recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantity.
Topping suggestions
- Salsa
- Shredded cheese
- Jalapenos
- Sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
- Guacamole (obviously)
- Corn chips
- Fresh chilli
How to make beef taco bowl
Step 1: Add corn and zucchini to a skillet with some oil on high heat. I like to get a char on these. Remove.
Step 2: Sauté the ground beef in the same skillet, breaking it up as it cooks. Add the taco seasoning.
Step 3: Add black beans, corn, zucchini, and tomatoes; simmer until everything is heated through.
Step 4: Serve on top of rice or other grain. Add avocado and toppings right before serving.
My Top Tips
Having this with rice? Batch cook it - it pairs with other recipes like my teriyaki ground beef rice bowl.
Make it kid friendly. By using your own taco seasoning, you can adjust the spices to your preferences e.g. reducing the cayenne pepper (and maybe saving some of the spicier toppings for the adults).
Short on time? You don't need to char the corn and skillet. You could skip this step and get straight to sauteing the beef.
Storing cold and hot ingredients
If you have divided meal prep containers, these are really useful for storing the toppings separately from the components that will be heated up.
If you don't have divided containers, you can add silicone cupcake liners to your container to keep your toppings separate (like I have pictured).
Reheating part of a meal prep
I recommend adding the ingredients you want to heat into a bowl, or removing the parts you want to keep cold from your container you'll reheat.
Microwave the beef mixture and rice together in 1 minute intervals, stirring in between. Once heated (this should take approx. 2-3 minutes), you can add on your fresh toppings.
My Top Tip. Fresh ingredients added to your meal prep really make a difference. Increase the flavour with some fresh herbs and a squeeze of lime.
Freezing taco mince
You can freeze the taco mince in individual portions in souper cube moulds (like pictured). This will defrost really well. You can also freeze rice this way - but the texture does decrease slightly. You can freeze for approximately 3-6 months.
Avoid freezing the fresh ingredients as these don't thaw well.
If you want more meal prep information, check out my Meal Prep for Beginners post and my Meal Prep Basics E-Book.
FAQs
Yes, and it's actually one of my favorite swaps. Brown rice gives a nuttier flavor, more fiber, and keeps you full longer-perfect if you're using this recipe as a meal prep lunch.
Definitely. It's naturally high in protein thanks to the beef and beans, and you're getting plenty of veggies from zucchini, corn, and tomatoes. You also control the seasoning, oil, and toppings, which makes it much healthier than a takeout taco bowl.
The best trick is to slice or mash avocado fresh right before serving. But if you need to prep it in advance, squeeze lime or lemon juice over the top and store it in an airtight container. For meal prep containers, keep avocado in a small silicone cup or sauce container inside your bowl-this way it doesn't get mashed into the beef and rice until you're ready to eat.
Other ground meat meal preps
Or, you can have a browse through my ground meat meal preps for more delicious eats.
Recipe
Ground Beef Taco Bowl (Meal Prep)
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Equipment
- Rice Cooker, optional
Ingredients
- 500 g (1 lb) ground beef, lean recommended
- 400 g (14 oz) black beans, approx.1 tin
- 400 g (14 oz) corn kernels, approx.1 tin, subs note 1
- 300 g (10 ½ oz) zucchinis, approx.2
- 200 g (1 cups) rice
- 10 g (1 tablespoon) Mexican seasoning , store-bought or homemade
- 200 g (7 oz) tomatoes, approx.2
- 150 g (1 cups) Avocado, approx.1
- 15 g (1 tablespoon) olive oil
Instructions
Prepare
- Prepare 200 g (1 cups) rice your way or follow my tips and tricks for cooking.
- Drain and rinse: 400 g (14 oz) black beans, 400 g (14 oz) corn kernels
- Dice: 300 g (10 ½ oz) zucchinis
Cook
- Heat 15 g (1 tablespoon) olive oil on a pan on high heat.
- Add 400 g (14 oz) corn kernels and 300 g (10 ½ oz) zucchinisI like to get a char on these (approx. 3 minutes). Remove.
- Lower to heat to medium-high and sauté the 500 g ground beef, breaking it up as it cooks until it turns brown (approx. 7 minutes).
- Add the 10 g (1 tablespoon) Mexican seasoning 400 g (14 oz) black beans, 400 g (14 oz) corn kernels, 300 g (10 ½ oz) zucchinisMix and simmer until everything is heated through.
- If serving straight away, dice 200 g (7 oz) tomatoes and mash 150 g (1 cups) Avocado - add seasonings of choice for guacamole. If meal prepping, dice tomatoes and keep avocado in it's skin and separate from the rest until ready to eat.
- Serve on top of rice or other grain. Add avocado and toppings right before serving.
Notes
- Salsa
- Shredded cheese
- Jalapenos
- Sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
- Guacamole
- Fresh chilli
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